MTG Salvation

It's not original, but it works!




Why Sek'Kuar, the Deathkeeper?

How does one play this deck?

Nuances of the Deck:

Changes Log

Input is welcome as always!

I think that Squee could find a happy home in this deck.

I agree! What would you suggest I cut for it?

i'd drop jund battlemage in favor of avenger of zendikar

victimize would be sweet here as well

I dropped some of the weaker token-makers for the suggestions given. I really like them and appreciate the input.

The one thing I will note is inscho's mention of Victimize; I believe that Hell's Caretaker, while slow, is overall the better card, so I'm going to use that instead. He's even a 1/1!

I feel your lack of Goblin Bombardment disturbing.

Also, Kiki-Jiki is awesome in general, especially since it doubles as token producer and as pseudo-sacrifice outlet. Shirei is another interesting card that really fits in Sek'Kuar.Sakura-Tribe Elder is probably better than Growth Plasm especially is you decide to add Shirei into your deck. Eldrazi Monument is probably better than Darksteel Plate for your deck too.

I would probably cut Gutter Grime (too fragile) , Attrition (too expensive/restrictive) and Seedborn Muse (you don't have enough instants to abuse with this).

Wouldn't Shirei not trigger off something that dies from SBA if equipped with Skullclamp, though? :S

And Attrition feels better than Goblin Bombardment in this deck. Being able to outright kill something is better than pinging something, imo, even if it's not a straight-up sac outlet (in that you have to pay the mana for it)

Quote from DonRoyale

Wouldn't Shirei not trigger off something that dies from SBA if equipped with Skullclamp, though? :S

And Attrition feels better than Goblin Bombardment in this deck. Being able to outright kill something is better than pinging something, imo, even if it's not a straight-up sac outlet (in that you have to pay the mana for it)

Shirei doesn't care for the creature dies, so long as it is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, so it works with Skullclamp.

I feel that Goblin bombardment's ability to ping anything or anyone (giving you the ability to deal lots of damage in response to sweepers) far better than Attrition which hits only non-black creatures. It works better with Gravepact and Butcher of Malakir, since your opponent is going to sacrifice the creature than you targeted with Attrition anyway. Also 2 mana is way way cheaper than the 7 mana you need to get your first sacrifice out.

Quote from BeingHumanBeing

Shirei doesn't care for the creature dies, so long as it is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, so it works with Skullclamp.

shirei checks the creature's power upon leaving the battlefield...so if the creature is 1/1 and you clamp it making it a 2/0, it won't return.

Sek'Kuar loves Birthing Pod. Try adding and play-testing it to see if it is for you. I recommend it highly.

I'm a huge fan of seedguide ash in my sek'kuar deck, but I play a lot less nonbasics. I also run different sac outlets. Ashnod's altar is worse than yours probably, just what I have, but I do like altar of dementia. I typically mill myself, as I run spider spawning and kessig cagebreakers. I also like buried alive for anger/bloodghast/squee/reassembling/reanimation target. Mitotic slime isn't the best, but he's funny. Solemn is good here in tri color imo. I run 2 3 4 5 drops that can get mana if I want it with pod (which is awesome in mine).

I also am a big fan of symbiotic wurm. It's sweet with parallel lives, and it's really sweet with flesheater imp, who is a gigantic threat in this type of deck. Endless cockroaches is another clamp/saccer, though he's heavy on the black. My deck loves mana, and I personally think kodama's reach/cultivate are better than signets. It's slower, but they are generally safer (I get swamps unless I need other colors). Feed the pack has been good to me. Sac woodfall primus, get 6 (or 12) 2/2s, some 3/1s, primus another thing. I recently put in triumph of the hordes as another wincon, as I oftentimes had a horde but no way to punch through. Ingot chewer is a cheap token, abusable with something like phyrexian reclamation.

Some random cards I run... Abyssal gatekeeper early game protection, dawn of the dead reanimation abuse- better with sac outlets which I run many of, spore frog/carrion feeder 1 drop pod targets (sac tokens) frog can help you against mass armies with reclamation, harvester of souls haven't played with him yet but he seems good, torrent of souls reanimation for my big yard and pump for tokens. And yeah, kiki is really good here, most of my guys enjoy dying.

And my top winner- natural affinity. Sure, it can be countered, or they can remove your general, but then it's jokulhaups (as you do it in response to a wrath). Probably best to see if you can wait hands down a bit so removal is slim (depends who is at the table), or you have greaves/boots on sek'kuar. Or you have gutter grime. Or a planeswalker. 1 mana blasphemous into this or simply in response to a wrath ends games really fast.

I should add Goblin Bombardment, but I'm convinced Skullclamp + Shirei doesn't work, Eldrazi Monument makes the best card in the deck useless (I only run Darksteel Plate to protect Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper and Mycoloth, really), and while I like most of your suggestions, 1classydude, I'd have to completely overhaul the deck if I wanted an Infect approach. (I also hate Infect in EDH)

I do like Buried Alive, though. That's a terrific suggestion, and I'll really consider it. Thanks.

I've done a massive facelift to the deck, and I'm looking for feedback and suggestions. Lemme know, thanks!